Word-counter for type-writing machines.



' 0; B. SMITH. WORD COUNTER FOR TYPE WRITING MACHINES. APPLICATION FILED DBO. 20,1909.

Patented Jan. 17, 191 1.

OSCAR B. SMITH, or JAsPER, FLORIDA.

WORD-COUNTER FOR TYPE-WRITING MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 17, 1911.

Application filed December 20, 1909. Serial No. 534,117.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OSCAR B. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Jasper, in the county of Hamilton and State of Florida, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in ord-Counters for 'l ype-lvriting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to devices for automatically registering the number of words written on a t-ypewriting machine and has for its object the provision of a device having a series of disks for registering the number of words written, operated by a ratchet mechanism connected to the space bar of the machine, and a stop mechanism operated by the registering disks to stop registration when the counter has reached its highest point, said stop mechanism preventing the space bar from being depressed and serves as a signal to the operator to release the stop.

My invention will be described in detail hereinafter and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 is a front view of my improved word counter showing the casing partly broken away and the counter in position to register, Fig. 2, a similar view showing the stop mechanism in operation, and Fig. 8, a longitudinal sectional view.

In the drawings similar reference characters will indicate corresponding parts in the several views.

1 indicates a casing which is adapted to be secured to the frame of a typewriting machine, on the base 2 of which are revolubly mounted the registering disks 8 by means of arbors i. In the form selected for illustration three disks are shown and designated 5, 6, and 7 respectively, disk 5 being provided with one hundred ratchet teeth 5* and a dial thereon for registering the number of words up to 100. To operate disk 5 I provide a lever 8 having a spring-depressed pawl 9 pivotally secured thereto that engages the ratchet teeth 5 successively, the lever 8 being secured to the space bar of the typewriting machine, in any suitable man ner, so that each time the space bar is actuated the disk 5 is rotated the distance of one of the teeth 5. Disk 6 has ten notches 10 in its edge that are engaged by a pin 11. on disk 5 to rotate the disk 6 the space of one notch at the end of each complete revolution of said disk 5, said disk 6 being provided with a dial arranged to register the number of hundreds of words written up to 1,000. Disk 7 is formed with one hundred teeth or notches 12 in its periphery that are engaged by a pin 13 on disk 6 successively to rotate said disk 7 the space of one tooth at the end of each complete rotation of disk 6, disk 7 being provided with a dial arranged to register the number of thousands oi. words written up to 100,000.

14, 15 and 16 indicate springs to steady the rotation of disks, 5, 0 and 7 respectively, and 17, 18 and 19 pointers secured to arbors l to assist in reading the records made by said disks,

As it may be desirable to stop the register when it reaches the limit of its indicating mechanism, as a notice to the operator, I provide a lever pivotally secured to base 2 having one end positioned to engage the teeth 5 in ratchet wheel 5 and its other end to be engaged by a pin 21 secured to disk 7 W hen the register reaches the position to indicate 100,000 words written the pin 21 engages the lever 20 and swings it so that its free end engages disk 5 and prevents further rotation of said disk, and as the space bar will be held from depression by the immovability of the registering device the operators attention will be called to the condition of the mechanism.

22 indicates a rod pivotally secured to lever 20 and extending through a slot 23 in the casing to enable the operator to lift the lever 20 from engagement with pin 21, the rod being used as a lever for the purpose stated.

2 1- indicates a spring engaging the lever 20 to hold it normally in position to not engage disk 5.

I have shown and described the register as comprising three disks but it will be apparent that their number may be increased or diminished if desired, and the construction and arrangement of parts may be changed except where specifically claimed hereinafter without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having described my invention what I claim is A word counter for typewriting machines comprising a casing adapted to be secured to the machine, a series of disks rotatably mounted in said casing and arranged to progressively register the number of words written, the initial disk having its periphery formed with a series of ratchet teeth, a pawl I With the initial disk and a rod secured to 10 actuated by the typewriting machine and the lever to release it from engagement with engaging the ratchet teeth, a lever fulcrumed 1 said pin. in the casing and having one arm positioned In testimony whereof I hereto afiix my to engage the ratchet teeth 011 the initial i signature in the presence of two witnesses. disk, a pin secured to the disk assigned to t OSCAR B. SMITH.

Witnesses: I J. T. CRAWLEY, l M. F. HORNE.

register the total number of Words and adapted to engage the free arm of the lever and move the other arm into engagement 

